Aldermen Mandate Greenway Tract

The board held a public hearing to receive comment on the division Tuesday night, although only a handful of people participated.

The aldermen have stipulated that when dividing the lots, a 30-foot easement for a greenway must be installed. Town officials have said they eventually want to build a greenway in the area along Morgan Creek for walking, running or biking.

The greenway would be similar to Bolin Creek Trail, a greenway in Chapel Hill.

"Carrboro really wants the greenway, but they don't have any money," said developer Sammy Martin, who for the past three years has helped submit the application with the owner of the property, Walter McFall.

"They don't have any plans for this in terms of organization and structuring it," Martin said. "They just want the greenway."

Martin said the greenway would stop about 150 feet from McFall's house.

McFall raised concerns about the increased traffic a greenway would produce and about people who might abuse the land.

"I want it pristine," he said. "I want to make sure we've got somebody to take care of (the property) like I would if I didn't give it to you."

Alderman Alex Zaffron assured McFall that Carrboro would be liable for any damage done to the property and that any maintenance would become the town's responsibility.

"We are accepting responsibility to act in the best interests of everyone involved," Zaffron said.

Martin said this was the first time any alderman said the town would take responsibility for the area.

The land will be split into lots of about 7.6, 6.6 and 3.3 acres, with McFall residing on the 7.6-acre parcel, although Martin says they could have divided the property into as many as six lots.

The pieces of land will range in price from $100,000 to $150,000.

But local resident Fulton Crews, who owns land surrounding about one-third of the 17.4 acres, still expressed concern about the size of the lots.

"I don't think we should have housing that's less than a five-acre lot, and that's what they're proposing," he said.

Ultimately, the application was approved by the aldermen but with an addendum.

Alderman Diana McDuffee motioned for an agreement that the 30-foot greenway easement along Morgan Creek be dedicated at the same time as greenway easements on adjacent properties.

"They approved with the condition ... that the Homeowner's Association would agree to dedicate the other greenways," Martin said, indicating that he and McFall would accept the proposal for the greenway to be built along Morgan Creek. "We are completely willing to be the link there," he said.

But Martin said there is no way of telling when the greenway will be established because the economy is not conducive to the development of a greenway.

"It could be next year, or it could be 15 to 20 years," he said. "Just so that the towns were not just absolutely strapped and using tax money to build a greenway."

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.